Torsion-beam axles and multi-link axles are typical embodiments of rear axle constructions of a motor vehicle. These two constructions of rear axle meet different demands. The torsion-beam axle provides an economical wheel suspension which is predominantly used in the medium-size and small car domain. It has a small spatial requirement, a small mass associated with the wheel as well as advantageous transmission ratios between wheel and spring dampers. The wheel carriers are attached to bending-resistant and torsion-resistant trailing arms which are rigidly interconnected by a cross member. The cross member is configured to be simultaneously resistant to bending and torsionally flexible, thereby allowing a restricted, independent spring compression of both wheels. However, barring exceptions, torsion-beam axles are not suited to providing a simultaneous driving concept on the rear axle, since the cross member, but also the side members of the torsion-beam axle usually stand in the way of necessary drive shafts. To produce four wheel-drive vehicles, rear axle construction reverts back to multi-link axles which, on the one hand are able to realise relatively high comfort demands and on the other, provide adequate space for the drive between the rear wheels. In the multi-link axle, different suspension arms steer the toe and camber of the rear wheel during the wheel travel. Multi-link axles generally have a subframe which is constructed from cross members and side members and is screwed together with the bodywork of the vehicle. The connections of the torsion-beam axle and of the multi-link axle are usually different, so that for each type of axle, different rear end regions have to be produced for the bodywork of the vehicle. This means that the body in white has to be produced in a specific manner even before the installation of the rear axle construction, so that different rear end regions are provided in the bodywork for the different types of axle.
To remedy this problem, it is known, for example from German Patent Application DE 10 2004 032 808 A1 to fit a torsion-beam axle with a subframe which makes it possible to use connection points of a bodywork for a multi-link axle. In other words, an economical torsion-beam axle can be used, without modifications being made to the bodywork, instead of the multi-link axle provided for this bodywork. However, a problem of this proposed solution is that due to the subframe, this torsion-beam axle has a significantly greater weight and at the same time, the production costs of the torsion-beam axle increase significantly. This is a particular problem because torsion-beam axles are usually used in the more economical motor vehicles and are subject to a high cost pressure. If a specific bodywork is provided for each type of rear axle, the costs of providing a modular rear axle construction are also high.
On this basis, the object of the present invention is to provide a generic bodywork for a motor vehicle with a rear axle construction which allows, in a financially favourable manner, a modular rear axle concept, i.e. it allows the use of either a torsion-beam axle or a multi-link axle.